January 2012 Chatterbox - Ruston High School

Editorials/Opinions ChatterboxRuston High School January 19, 2012 Page 10It’s Your Life, So Where Are You Taking It?by Thristan CecilClubs ReporterHuman dependency is very important when you begin to look at it from several perspectives. We depend on the house that welive in to keep us sheltered, we depend on stores to have subsidence, and we depend on the water we drink and other life's needs tobe there for us, but how dependent are we on other humans? Seeing it as it is, we sometimes depend on our friends and family tomake decisions for us, mostly it being for the things we do in life. Remember, if you allow people to make decisions for you thenthey are technically “running your life”. But the questions that staggers the idea of decision making is if you truly want to be yourselfand live your own life and putting yourself before others in the course of decisions .The act of a decision maintains who you are and can greatly affect you as a person as well as greatly affecting your present futureas a human being. While the acting force of manipulation through feelings, commitment, and or loss and gain of certain emotionsthrough the decisions, is always in great in effect, you still have great control, and this is where the idea of life-balance comes in.A good way of making great decisions for oneself is to take responsibility, which is a big factor that has great impact. When youhave responsibility many more options become available. For example, when things don’t go according to plan then you never are avictim and you have the freedom to make a different decision as well as gaining respect for others. Remember, it’s easy to forget thatthe world is very chaotic and unpredictable, so being able to know a single step give more access to an outcome. Also remember to assess and update and learn what going onbefore a decision are made. That is one factor teenagers and young adults seem to forget when in a situations. Remember; give yourself permission to change your mind, becauseit may be the first step in changing your life. Make your own decisions, control your life. Be who you want to be.Parking Woesby Whitney DurrettEditor in ChiefAs a high school, Ruston High has many students who drive to school instead of having someone drop them off. Meaning, thosestudents have to have somewhere to park. Ruston High has three main parking lots, one in front of the gym, one in the front of theschool, and the “freshman” parking lot out by the stadium.There are more than enough spots to park in, but everywhere you park you have to walk a good ways to enter the school building.When it rains, students either get soaked coming in or have to use an umbrella and find a place to store it throughout the day. Then thereis the rule that teachers get the front parking spots. I personally think this is a great thing! Not only are teachers older than students, butthey are the ones teaching us. Students don’t complain about the parking spots. Be glad you don’t have to walk further than you alreadyhave to!Creating the Perfect Balanceby Elena TillAssistant News EditorI have always been an organized person (some of my friends may call me OCD but I just ignore them), however I still struggle to createthe perfect balance between school, family, and friends. I think this is something that many people struggle with. Often I find myselfneglecting my family and friends because I am too busy trying to perfect my schoolwork. The stress caused by my strenuous schoolworkcan make ne have a bad attitude towards anyone who interrupts me. Other people may have the opposite problem: they spend too muchtime just hanging out with their friends instead of concentrating on doing their schoolwork. This is a major problem as poor grades canultimately ruin your future.My advice is this: remember that your grades should not dominate over your family and friends. Rather you need to create a schedulethat allows you to spend time with your loved ones while maintaining good grades. One method that I find very helpful is utilizing a planner.If I write all of my homework down and any important dates, I can usually spend time with family and friends and get good grades.You just have to plan. Plan dates with your friends, time to spend with your family, when to study, and anything else that is important inyour life.